Bi-Xenon Headlights

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Last updated on August 25th, 2018 at 04:36 pm

Bi-xenon headlights provide increased luminous power to improve one’s night-time vision while driving. They increase visibility considerably while also maximizing illumination towards the edges of the roadway more vividly and over a greater area.

Bi-Xenon Headlights Explained

Bi-Xenon Headlights are a form of high intensity discharge (HID) Xenon headlights. They provide function as both low beam and high beam lighting from a vehicle’s dual headlight system.

A bi-xenon headlights system eliminates the necessity for a separate traditional halogen high beam bulb. It does this by either moving the xenon bulb to the inside of the lens or by moving a filter or shield up or down in front of the xenon bulb in order to allow the light a way to escape from the inside of the lens in a different pattern.

Most often, a bi-xenon headlights system features dynamic headlight leveling. Additionally, on some vehicles it also allows for direction adjustability.

On some cars, such as BMW for example, the four lamp bi-xenon headlights systems use beam deflection on a single pair of HID Xenon lamps for both the low and high beams. The second set of headlamps contain traditional halogen bulbs for the headlamp’s flash functioning, although they are not utilized in normal running. HID lamps usually take a couple of seconds to reach their full output, and their service life is substantially decreased by flashing the on and off. This is why they are not currently used for any type of flash function.

Facts About Bi-Xenon Headlights

In high-beam mode, bi-xenon headlights offer a significantly larger range, and while in low-beam mode, the headlights provide light near the edges of the roadway more vividly and over a wider area. When compared to traditional H7 halogen bulbs, bi-xenon headlamps provide up to 86% more luminous power when in low-beam mode, rising to as high as 181% more while in high-beam mode. This enhances visibility and vision,

Bi-Xenon Headlights

which offers significantly safer driving at night-time. Additionally, on some vehicles, the cornering light function turns on the fog light on the side facing the turn when negotiating tight turns at a speed of up to approximately 25 mph. This feature provides for substantially improved illumination of the roadway.

“Bi-xenon” gets it name from the fact that the high beam and low beam share a common light source. This is unlike other HID lights, such as the 8000k HIDs. In high-beam mode, the bi-xenon headlamps provide visibility over a further distance in front of the car. In low-beam mode, the bi-xenon bulbs cast light over a much wider area than traditional halogen headlights, allowing objects near the edge of the roadway to be seen earlier.

Some higher-end Luxury vehicles offer a feature called dynamic sensor-controlled range adjustment. This headlight technology automatically adjusts for changes to the vehicle’s position during acceleration and braking, or as a result of different load levels. High-luminosity bi-xenon gas-discharge lights do an excellent job of avoiding blinding oncoming traffic. Here is a video showing Volvo’s active bi-xenon headlights.

Difference Between Bi-Xenon Headlights and Xenon Headlights

On most of today’s new cars, typically xenon-equipped headlights are offered only as a low-beam headlight that have a halogen bulb in place for the high beams. Bi-xenon headlights, on the other hand, offer xenon-light output for both the low and high beams, and they are encased within the same headlight projector or capsule.

During low-beam operation, bi-xenon headlights usually use a filter or shade in front of the bulb. When the driver turns on the high-beams, the shade slides out of the way and the xenon bulb’s full-light output is cast onto the road.

Bi-Xenon Headlights With AFS (Adaptive Frontlighting Systems)

AFS for short, Adaptive Front-lighting System optimizes the distribution of the light produced from the bi-xenon headlights based upon current driving circumstances. By determining steering input and vehicle speed, the adaptive frontlighting system will point the low-beam headlights into the direction of which the car’s driver intends to go.

In conjunction with bi-xenon headlights, the AFS illuminates more brightly and at a greater distance versus halogen headlights, thus improving the driver’s visibility and field of vision at intersections and round curves during evening driving. Paired up with an auto-leveling function, the AFS produces a stable distribution of light which is not affected by the car’s position. By maintaining the light’s axis, the AFS aids to prevent drivers of oncoming cars from being temporarily blinded when the back of the car may be weighed down by luggage or many people, or if the car’s position changes from driving over a bump in the road or while driving up a steep slope.

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Be sure to check with your local laws prior to making any modifications to your vehicle. Some areas have strict restrictions regarding which lights can and cannot be used. LightHeadz.com makes no claims regarding the legality of any headlights or systems mentioned on this site.

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Headlight Finder

Disclaimer: LightHeadz.com provides lists of the best automotive lighting products for drivers who quickly want to know what to get. When readers choose to buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we earn affiliate commissions that support our work. Here is an explanation of exactly what we do, and how to support our work.